From Rhodes Scholar to union leader to political powerhouse: how Bobbie became Bob, Australia's iconic larrikin PM.

The new biography from award-winning historian David Day sheds new light on the early years of a political legend. David Day's biography of the young Bob Hawke takes readers on a journey through the first fifty years of one of Australia's most charismatic leaders.

From his humble beginnings in South Australia to his time as a Sunday School teacher, from his rise as the country's most powerful union leader to his eventual decision to enter politics, Day provides a fresh perspective on the formative years of a man who would become our most popular prime minister.

Drawing on a decade of extensive research and interviews with those who knew Hawke best, this ground-breaking biography by a multi-award-winning writer throws new light on Hawke's difficult childhood, his alcoholism and obsessive womanising, and his links with some of Australia's shadowy characters.

This gripping biography is a must-read for anyone interested in the life and times of Australia's most iconic leader.